HLnovel Chapter 874 No, I've never loved.
Chapter 874 No, I've never loved.
After the acupuncture was finished, Zong Que subconsciously grabbed Lu Yangyang's hand, and fell asleep in no time.
Lu Yangyang looked at him, and couldn't help but recall what he had just said.
Today, after many twists and turns in the imperial court, Duke Xiao was ultimately found guilty.
It seems extremely difficult, but upon closer examination, there are still loopholes to be found.
Firstly, Ying Xun had once told her that the case files of the Duke of Rong had been tampered with in the Dali Temple, and more than once. If the person who did it was the Duke of Xiao, why would he waste so much effort? He was already in a high position and held great power; even if he destroyed all the evidence, he could do it flawlessly.
Secondly, the letters that had been found in the Duke of Rong's study, accusing him of colluding with the Northern Yan, were missing. Those letters were crucial to his conviction; without them as "evidence," even if the Duke of Rong had died in battle, no witness could have proven his treason. Similarly, even with the letters, there was still no way to prove his innocence; the Duke of Rong was dead and could not defend himself. With both witnesses and physical evidence present, the already deceased Duke of Rong was convicted, and His Majesty immediately issued an edict in court to execute the entire Rong family.
If the physical evidence doesn't appear in time, the Rong family will be dealt with according to procedure, first imprisoned and awaiting trial. In the meantime, there may still be room for maneuver. Even if the whole family is exiled and charged with crimes, it's still better than being dead and unable to come back to life.
Furthermore, Duke Xiao was not in the capital at that time. If he had instructed someone to frame Duke Rong, it would have been impossible for him to have no clues at all.
Duke Xiao was implicated in the Chenzhou affair, but the person who sent the letter to slander Duke Rong was not necessarily Duke Xiao.
The case of Duke Rong appears to have ended with Duke Xiao's confession, but in reality, it is not over.
And what about Lu Jibai? Why did Duke Xiao send people to Qinghe Village to silence them? What was he trying to cover up? And what did Lu Jibai know?
A series of mysteries remain unsolved, including Lin Wuji's background. If he is indeed the son of Empress Dowager Dugu, but rumors say he is the son of Duke Xiao, this seems reasonable. However, if Duke Xiao truly had a past with Empress Dowager Dugu, why would he raise Lin Wuji in Dazhao all these years? Empress Dowager Dugu asked Duke Xiao to help find someone, but according to Lin Wuji, Duke Xiao clearly knew from the beginning that he was in the Salt Gang.
The only possibility for keeping Lin Wuji in the Salt Gang for over twenty years is that Lin Wuji was also a pawn.
If Duke Xiao is taking the blame for someone else, then the person who could make him take the blame is very likely—His Majesty.
If all of this was planned from so early on, then, judging by the timeline, it must have been before Crown Prince Chongwen went north to be a hostage.
It seems there are some things I need to ask Aunt Jing about sometime in the future. After so many years, there probably aren't many people who know the inside story.
……
Cheng Ruoxue followed the eunuch assigned by Grand Eunuch Feng toward the palace gate. Halfway there, she was suddenly bumped into.
Cheng Ruoxue stumbled and regained her balance, and the other party hurriedly apologized.
The young eunuch who had led the way quickly asked her, "Madam, are you alright?"
Cheng Ruoxue shook her head. "It's alright, let's go."
The two continued walking out. Cheng Ruoxue lagged two steps behind the little eunuch, opened the note that the person who had bumped into her earlier had stuffed into her hand from her sleeve, and secretly looked down at the note in her palm.
"If you want to know who the mastermind behind framing Duke Rong is, come to Xiling Lane alone. Don't miss out."
Xiling Lane is the sixth long lane counting west from the palace gate. It leads to the Duke of Xiao's mansion, but it is the back lane of the Prince of Ying's mansion. Usually, apart from carriages, few people pass by.
Cheng Ruoxue frowned subconsciously, but couldn't stop thinking about it.
With Duke Xiao convicted, she should have already avenged her father. Duke Xiao had also publicly admitted that he had slandered her father. However, one thing that she was always concerned about was that, according to her aunt, as well as what she had found out and what she had probed from Xiao Tianshi, Duke Xiao was not in the capital at the time. The memorial accusing her father of treason was sent back from the north by him. However, the evidence that slandered her father was not written by Duke Xiao.
The execution of the entire Rong family was inextricably linked to the letters found in the father's study.
But those letters were neither in the Dali Temple nor in Duke Xiao's study.
Otherwise, she could never have obtained the letters between Duke Xiao and Northern Yan, but missed those few letters.
Even if it has been destroyed, who destroyed it?
If those letters hadn't arrived so promptly, the emperor wouldn't have ordered the execution of the entire Rong family on the spot. My mother and the hundreds of members of the Rong family might still have had a chance to escape.
She wouldn't be able to put her mind at ease until she found that person.
"Madam, we've arrived. Please take your time. This servant will take his leave," said the young eunuch who had led the way.
Cheng Ruoxue then realized that they had already arrived at the palace gate.
Many people remained at the palace gate, along with the coffin that had not yet been completely carried away and the onlookers. Upon learning of Duke Xiao's evil deeds and that he had been convicted, the people cursed him in unison.
As Cheng Ruoxue looked at the coffins, Sheng Junyi told her that her father's remains were still there when she was sent to the palace. Once her father's name was cleared, his remains could be sent back and buried in the Rong family's ancestral tomb.
My aunt had already secretly arranged for my mother's remains to be placed. Now that the Rong family has been exonerated, once my father's remains are recovered, my mother's remains can be moved out and buried with my father.
Sheng Junyi appeared in front of her without her noticing, and gently ruffled her hair. "I'll take you back first. Later, I'll personally escort your father's remains back to the Rong Prince's Mansion for burial on a chosen date."
Rong Che, the Duke of Rong, was posthumously granted the title of Prince Rong, and his former residence became the Prince Rong's Mansion.
The Rong family was executed in the Rong Prince's mansion. Returning to that place would be too cruel for Cheng Ruoxue, but Sheng Junyi knew that it was the place she most wanted to go back to.
If the deceased are too attached to their past and their souls refuse to leave, they should remain in the mansion, waiting for their loved ones to return.
She's waiting too.
Hearing his voice, Cheng Ruoxue burst into tears. "Ayi, I want to eat Shengfangzhai's peach blossom pastries. Can you buy some for me? I want to take them to my mother and tell her that my father is coming home."
"Okay, then you wait for me here. Don't wander around until I get back. Everyone here is under my control, so there's no danger," Sheng Junyi replied, but still gave her a few more words of advice out of concern.
"Okay," Cheng Ruoxue agreed. "I'll wait for you in the carriage."
Sheng Junyi watched her get into the carriage before riding away.
After Sheng Junyi left, Cheng Ruoxue changed into a maid's clothes in the carriage, avoided people, and walked along the palace wall to the west towards the sixth alley.
Xiling Lane was deserted, except for the tree trunks extending from the back wall of the Prince's Mansion, with withered yellow leaves scattered all over the ground.
The sky grew increasingly gloomy, as if it were about to rain again.
Cheng Ruoxue walked into the alley, her feet stepping on the newly fallen yellow leaves, and watched Xiao Tianshi walk towards her.
Sure enough it was him.
Today's court assembly is to reiterate the Chenzhou case and exonerate the Rong family; he must know everything about it.
"Ruoxue, I really love you, do you know that?"
Xiao Tianshi walked up to Cheng Ruoxue, stopped, and looked down into her eyes, which were filled with pain.
A dagger stabbed Cheng Ruoxue hard in the abdomen. Cheng Ruoxue looked up and met Xiao Tianshi's face.
Xiao Tianshi's eyes were filled with deep affection and pain. He pulled the dagger from her body and then plunged it back in.
"Ruoxue, have you ever loved me?"
Blood gushed from Cheng Ruoxue's abdomen. She staggered, but her eyes remained resolute and cold as she stared back at him.
"No."